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(No Model.) Y I J.. J.LOARNEL'L.

' Dray.

No. 240,810. Patented May 3,1881.

UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFICE,

JOHN J. OARNELL, OF HALIFAX, NOVA SOOTIA, OANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO DAVID L. JOHNS, OF SAME PLACE.

DRAY.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 240,810, dated May 3,1881, Application filed March 14, 1881. (No model.)

. To all whom it may concern:

. the front portion thereof, and to make it strong,

safe, of light draft, and convenient to use.

Heretofore the fore part of drays of this class has been provided with a hollow cylinder havin g the upper end flanged internally and externally, the external flange resting on the body of the dray, and the internal flange receiving a plain cylindrical band resting upon its edge, upon which edge plates are secured carrying the bearings of the front wheel, the whole arrangement requiring a large number of bolts, the weight of the fore end of the dray and its load being suspended therefrom.

The objects of my invention are to have the weight of frame and load rest naturally upon hangers pendent from the fore axle, and thus have the few bolts used relieved of all strain, and also to have the fore end of said frame as low down as desired by means of said pendent hangers.

The invention will first be described in connection with the drawings,and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspectlve of the dray provided with thills for one horse. Fig. 2- represents a bottom view of the front portion of the dray provided with a tongue or pole. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the same through one of the hangers. Fig. 4 is a transverse section through the front wheel. Fig. 5 represents a modification of one of the front-wheel hangers.

In said drawings, A represents the body of a dray, formed in the ordinary manner, with the axle and rear wheels attached as usual with that class of vehicles, and B represents the rear wheels. To have the bottom of the dray as near the surface of the ground as may be desirable, and still retain the wheels of suitable diameter, the rear axle, B, is bent down for the body of the dray to rest upon, thereby facilitating the loading and unloading of the dray.

The front wheel, 0, is nearly as large as the rear wheels, and thus is well adapted to pass over rough ground. The fore end of the dray is recessed and connected with the front wheel in the following manner: A ring, D, made of angle-iron, is secured with bolts to to the under side of the frame of the dray in such a manner that the web cl of said ring rests horizontally thereunder, and the other, d, is pendent, and forms the outer circle of the ring. Within this ring is placed, in an inverted position, a ring, E, also preferably made of angle-iron, with its web e turned up, and its web a fitting loosely under the web d.

c To the, under side of the inner ring, E, are secured two brackets, F, that pass above the axle c of the front wheel, and thus form hangers to support said inner ring from the ends of the axle, and as the outer ring, D, and its attachment (the fore end of the dray) rest upon the inner ring, the whole weightof these parts rests upon said hangers F. The feet of said hangers are riveted at f to the under side of the ring E; a single rivet at each end is generally sufficient; but, if desired, the feet may extend. as shown at f, and more rivets be used. The axle c is cylindrical nearly the whole length thereof; but the ends 0 are preferably made rectan gular, and small pins f inserted therethrough to prevent said axle from turning in the hangers F. The pinsf can be dispensed with, and springs g be placed between the top of the axle and the hanger, as shown in Fig. 5, to relieve the dray from the effects of any sudden jolt.

The wheel 0 is provided with a cylindrical skein, 0 extending beyond the ends of the wheel-hub, and the ends thereof are provided with oil-holes, through which the axle can be lubricated. The wheel is retained centrally upon the middle of the axle by adjustable col lars h, provided with screws engaging with the periphery of the axle. The tongue or thill braces are formed with an eye, is, at the rear end, passing over the axle, and are so bent as to rest close against the hangers F. They may be directly attached to the hangers, as shown in Fig. 5 but I prefer to have them pivoted to the axle to dispense with bolts.

To keep sand from enteringbetween the rings D and E, an apron or sand-band, 'i, is shown attached to the front edge of the dray and made to cover the edge of the inner ring, E. The Weight of the parts generally keeps the rings D and E together; but to keep them from becoming separated, a couple of short bolts, as shown at 1, can be inserted in the inner ring over the horizontal flange of the outer ring.

As it may be objectionable to have the horse or horses attached to the dray turn more than a half-revolution before moving the fore end of the dray, a stop or bolt, m, is made to project from the inner side of the outer ring, and pins n are secured to the under side of the inner ring, to prevent the team from turning more than a quarter-revolution on either side of the line of draft of the dray.

The two vertical webs of the rings D and E give great strength to the parts; but nearly the same amount of strength could be obtained by increasing the length of the pendent web of the outer ring, and diminishing or even dispensing with the vertical web of the inner ring. A seat, S, for the driver can be conveniently located above the front wheel upon vertical supports 8, resting on the front axle and braced by rods 8, connected with the thills or tongue braces 70, or with said thill-frame.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim 1. The combination of the fore end of a dray and the angle-iron ring D with the angle-iron ring E, placed in an inverse position to the first, and made to fit therein, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the fore end ofa dray, angle-iron l), and a ring having a horizontal web made to fit within the first, with the aXle of the front wheel, and hangers passing over said aXleand under the inner ring, to which they are secured, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the front wheel of a three-wheel vehicle, its axle, and hangers at each end thereof, secured to the under side of inner ring, E, with thills or tongue braces 7r, pivoted to said axle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination of the front wheel of a three-wheel dray, its skein provided with an oil-hole at each end, and the axle c, with adjustable collars h, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The combination of the front wheel of a three-wheel dray and its axle with thill-braces it, each provided with an eye, 76', encircling said axle, substantially as and for the purpose described.

JOHN J. OARNELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN HOLZHAUER, CHARLES HoRToN. 

